How to *Successfully* Handle Extended Family Relationships during the Holiday Season

With summer vacation recently over and the Fall holidays just beginning, there may be more family time than you can handle! Along with lots of family time can come conflict. Whether you and your spouse disagree as to how to deal with the in-laws or whether you are having an issue with a sibling, the Imago dialogue process is a great tool to process these issues, understand each others’ points of view, and work better together to devise a mutually beneficial solution.

Extended family can be a big issue of contention in most marriages and learning a way to replace conflict and discomfort with peace and harmony is refreshing. While it is always rewarding to see a couple transform their marriage with this process, it is especially sweet when parents and their adult children or brothers and sisters repair their relationship using the Imago dialogue.

Additionally, you’ll want to follow these 5 Tips to prevent your extended family from negatively impacting your marriage and your relationship space. We will focus in on in In-law relationship since, all too often it’s the in-laws that cause much strain in a marriage.

In-laws can be great. For those who didn’t have a good relationship with their own parents, their new “mom” or “dad” can be a healing addition to their life. But if you’re not so lucky, if your in-laws do not respect your boundaries, here are five ways to prevent them from ruining your marriage:

1. Set appropriate boundaries: The Bible teaches us at the very creation of the first couple, Adam and Eve, that marriage necessitates downplaying the influence that your parents play in your life: “ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).” While it certainly does not mean to cut off ties from your parents, we see that the primary partner for a husband is his wife. Well-meaning parents like to provide advice and even meddle in their child’s marriage. They understandably want only the best for their child and are pained if their child is not happy. However, their intervention is not always helpful. (Read More)